6 replies to this topic

[csylt]

Dear all, thought this might be of interest:

Independent on Sunday
04 September 2005

Rivals in race for GP logo as seniors warm up
By Christian Sylt and Caroline Reid

Formula One Licensing (FOL), the intellectual property arm of Bernie Ecclestone's F1 empire, has launched an attack on a new racing seniors tour which last week signed up former champion Nigel Mansell.

FOL has lodged opposition to a pan-European trademark application by London-based Grand Prix Masters for the new series' name.

The European Commission received opposition to the logo, which bears the text GPM Grand Prix Masters, on 23 August, just one day before Mr Ecclestone gave his endorsement to an official F1 seniors series. This would see former F1 drivers racing in open-top Porsche Boxsters as the warm-up event before F1 races.

A Grand Prix Masters series has been in the planning stages for four years and the first race is scheduled to take place in South Africa in November, with six to eight events planned for 2006. Northamptonshire's Delta Motorsport is building the 600bhp single-seater cars, which will reach 200mph. Alongside Nigel Mansell in South Africa will be F1 greats such as Alain Prost and Emerson Fittipaldi, competing for a £250,000 pot.

The company is run by Scott Poulter, former chief executive of sports marketing group Podia, which had merchandising deals with F1 teams and ran the black-tie grands prix balls. Podia was AIM-listed and worth around £30m at its peak, until the company collapsed in 2002 after a fraud by its finance director. Mr Poulter is joined on the Grand Prix Masters board by two sports lawyers who specialise in managing rugby and cricket stars, including England internationals Mark Butcher and Adam Hollioake.

FOL is trying to tie up the rights to the words "Grand Prix" by applying for a pan-European trademark in categories such as clothing and sponsorship services. Its application was accepted by the EC last November.

FOL's latest move shows that it is prepared to go after other series using the words Grand Prix. However, the A1 Grand Prix championship, which has national teams and is being launched by a member of Dubai's royal family this month at Brands Hatch, has not been told of any opposition to its logo.

Formula One Licensing (FOL), the intellectual property arm of Bernie Ecclestone's F1 empire, has launched an attack on a new racing seniors tour which last week signed up former champion Nigel Mansell.

FOL has lodged opposition to a pan-European trademark application by London-based Grand Prix Masters for the new series' name.

The European Commission received opposition to the logo, which bears the text GPM Grand Prix Masters, on 23 August, just one day before Mr Ecclestone gave his endorsement to an official F1 seniors series. This would see former F1 drivers racing in open-top Porsche Boxsters as the warm-up event before F1 races.

A Grand Prix Masters series has been in the planning stages for four years and the first race is scheduled to take place in South Africa in November, with six to eight events planned for 2006. Northamptonshire's Delta Motorsport is building the 600bhp single-seater cars, which will reach 200mph. Alongside Nigel Mansell in South Africa will be F1 greats such as Alain Prost and Emerson Fittipaldi, competing for a £250,000 pot.

The company is run by Scott Poulter, former chief executive of sports marketing group Podia, which had merchandising deals with F1 teams and ran the black-tie grands prix balls. Podia was AIM-listed and worth around £30m at its peak, until the company collapsed in 2002 after a fraud by its finance director. Mr Poulter is joined on the Grand Prix Masters board by two sports lawyers who specialise in managing rugby and cricket stars, including England internationals Mark Butcher and Adam Hollioake.

FOL is trying to tie up the rights to the words "Grand Prix" by applying for a pan-European trademark in categories such as clothing and sponsorship services. Its application was accepted by the EC last November.

FOL's latest move shows that it is prepared to go after other series using the words Grand Prix. However, the A1 Grand Prix championship, which has national teams and is being launched by a member of Dubai's royal family this month at Brands Hatch, has not been told of any opposition to its logo.

[AdrianM]

Can't motorsport do anything without it becoming political and ending up in court

[csylt]

Sadly for some of those involved it seems it sometimes cannot.

[MrAerodynamicist]

Originally posted by csylt
FOL is trying to tie up the rights to the words "Grand Prix" by applying for a pan-European trademark in categories such as clothing and sponsorship services. Its application was accepted by the EC last November

Is this the one? (search for number 001824010) I see somebody submitted an opposition back in May.

[csylt]

That's the one. There is a thread somewhere on Atlas about it. It has been accepted by the EC but, perhaps surprisingly, no sports federations have opposed the application. The (Russian?) company which has lodged opposition does not seem to be connected to sport. There is even another Grand Prix Masters series which is already going (www.grandprixmasters.org) which uses old F1 cars and they have been in dispute with the other Masters series regarding the use of the name which they were already using. I have printed their statement on this below. The sad thing is that FOL has also lodged opposition against them too. The other relatively new 'Grand Prix' series is A1 of course and that has not had FOL opposition though.

Statement dated 2nd September 2004.

From:- Grand Prix Masters offices, Milton Keynes, UK

With the news made public this week that a production run of modern single seat race cars is to be built in the UK, for use by ex-F One drivers in a new one-make motor racing championship, we have noted that the owners of the new series are expected to make clear their intention to use the name ‘Grand Prix Masters’.

The name Grand Prix Masters is already in use in motor sport. It has been applied throughout the race season of 2004 to the historic racing events for Formula One cars built in the period 1966-78, and managed by the Grand Prix Masters organisation from Milton Keynes in the UK. This Grand Prix Masters has no business connection with this proposed new series. Our trading name is now widely known and used by drivers, teams, event promoters, organising clubs and the Governing bodies of motor sport, as well as being used at race meetings across Europe, in France, Germany, UK and in all Grand Prix Masters world-wide publicity material. The name has been used by the management of the series since its original planning began in 2002.

As Grand Prix Masters, we can confirm that we were approached by - and have met with - the promoters of the proposed new one-make modern racing series as to the availability of our trading name. We also discussed possible support races with our historic F One cars at the new series’ events. We would consider this once the new organisation’s plans for a 2005/6 racing calendar. We confirm that we as Grand Prix Masters have held discussions with the appropriate trade mark experts.

As a series completing its very successful first year, and with ambitious growth plans for 2005, we will advise our car owners, drivers, teams and event promoters of the continuing discussions about this proposed new series when we have more news, in due course. In the meantime, we expect to announce our own full race calendar for season 2005, and planned new revisions to our existing race regulations, in the coming weeks.


Grand Prix Masters
* 01908-281375
* Christopher TATE, series director, 07976-400402
* www.grandprixmasters.org

[csylt]

Interesting news I read yesterday about Ron Walker suing A1 Grand Prix over their name. The view from F1 IP specialists I have spoken to is that this is a no win subject. I just wonder if he is testing the water so-to-speak such that, if he isn't successful, Bernie might think twice about pursuing Grand Prix Masters over their names. I'm sure Bernie will watch the outcome of this one very closely.

A1 Grand Prix shouldn't worry too much about this happening in the UK I reckon since the Australian Grand prix Corporation has actually registered the term 'Australian Formula One Grand Prix' in the category covering sport. This gives it a starting point at least. In contrast, in the UK the MSA applied for the trademark to 'British Grand Prix' specifically covering four-wheeled motor racing. Formula One Licensing then opposed this application and filed its own application for the same word but covering sport in general! Neither has yet been registered.

[Corners]

Bernie is so sly and bitter that he'll probably go down to South Africa and pay everyone at the gate to go home and what's he going to do next claim that 2 French words belong to him ? Is he going to stop Athletics events or Snooker since they use Grand Prix ??
How about the word race Bernie why don't you sue everyone for using that too ? There's no difference.
Of course its all in the interest of F1 isn't it ? Yeah right.
Hardly ever seen on TV in general, no computers games that are remotely any good aimed at kids and drunks..you can't watch anything that resembles the sport, diluted tracks built for sponsors and a controlled sport with all the balancing American style showy rules, what has it all come to ?
Perhaps they should call it Formula Masters surely he doesn't own the right to use the word Formula ? Albert Einstein would be turning in his grave !